Scientists at the Swedish Museum of Wrecks have confirmed that a 17th-century shipwreck discovered last year is the sister ship of the famous Vasa, the huge warship that sank as soon as it was launched.
The sister ship, Äpplet, was built by the same shipbuilder, Hein Jakobsson, who realized even before launch that Vasa’s narrow shape could make it unstable. Äpplet, therefore, was built wider and had a successful career in Sweden’s 17th century wars.
The wreck was found in December 2021 off the island of Vaxholm, near Stockholm, and maritime archaeologists immediately noticed similarities to Vasa, which was salvaged in the 1960s and is on display in a museum nearby. It took months of research and sample salvage to confirm the ship’s identity. Äpplet was intentionally sunk in 1659, after 30 years of service, along with several other obsolete ships.
No decision has been announced whether there will be an attempt to salvage Äpplet as a possible museum display.
